Open or enclosed trailer?
Short answer
On an open trailer the rack is outside, in the weather and in view, so it needs a lock and a finish that handles rain. In an enclosed trailer the rack mounts to a wall inside, and the questions are wall space, what else hangs there and whether the door clears. Decide this first.
Most of the choices below follow from this one. A rack on an open trailer carries the theft risk and the weather. An enclosed trailer already locks, so its rack can lean toward fast loading and saving wall space.
Where on the trailer does it mount?
Short answer
Pick the spot before the rack. A rack on the side rail or the front of an open trailer has to clear the wheels, the gate and anything you load past it. Inside an enclosed trailer, check the wall framing it bolts to and what it blocks. Then pick a rack made for that spot.
Walk the trailer the way the crew loads it. A rack is in the right place when nobody reaches over it to load the mowers, and the trimmers come off without moving anything else.
How many trimmers should it hold?
Short answer
Count the trimmers on the trailer today, then the ones you expect to add next season, and buy for the larger number. Include edgers and other long-shaft tools if they ride in the same rack. An empty slot costs little, and a crew short one slot ends up with a trimmer loose on the deck.
Ask the maker whether the rack can take more slots later. If it cannot, next season's count is the one to buy for.
What kind of lock does it need?
Short answer
Pick the lock the crew will really use every night. Racks lock in a few ways: one bar or cable across every trimmer, a lock on each slot, or a hasp that takes your own padlock. Check that one person can lock the whole rack quickly, and that the key or combination works for the whole crew.
A lock that takes two people or a search for the key gets skipped. On an open trailer parked overnight, the skipped night is the one that matters.
How does the trimmer sit in the rack?
Short answer
Look at what holds the trimmer: the shaft, the engine or the head. A good fit holds it without rubbing the line head or the throttle, keeps it from bouncing on rough roads, and lets a crew member pull it out with one hand. Check this with your own trimmers, not the photo.
If you can, take one of your trimmers to the rack, or ask the maker for a photo of a loaded rack with the same kind of trimmer you run.
Does it fit every shaft type you carry?
Short answer
Straight shafts and curved shafts sit differently, and so do split-shaft and attachment trimmers. If the crew runs a mix, check that every slot holds every shaft you carry, including any with an attachment fitted. Ask the maker which shafts a slot is made for before you order, and measure yours to compare.
A slot that holds one shaft type well and another loosely means one trimmer rides loose on every route.
What material and finish hold up?
Short answer
The rack lives on a trailer, so it takes rain, vibration and the odd bump from a mower deck. Ask what it is made of, how the finish is applied and whether the bolts and hardware are made for outdoor use. On an open trailer, the hardware matters as much as the rack itself.
A finish that chips at the first bump leaves bare metal where the trimmers rub. Ask the maker what the finish is and how to touch it up.
What should you measure before you order?
Short answer
Measure the rail or wall where the rack mounts: the rail's size and shape, and the length of open space. Then check that the rack, loaded with trimmers, stays within the trailer's width and clears the gate, the door, the fenders and the wheels. Compare each number with the sizes the maker lists.
The short version, before you order:
- Open or enclosed trailer, and the mount spot.
- Trimmers now and next season, edgers included.
- A lock one person can use every night.
- A fit that holds every shaft type you carry.
- A finish and hardware made for outdoor use.
- The rail, the open space and the width clearance, measured.
If you make trailer gear for landscape crews, such as trimmer racks, Crew Grade can sell it on Amazon as your authorized reseller. See what we run and the deal, then apply as a brand.